Cinco: The 4th
by corneroffandom
Summary: The group gets together to celebrate the 4th


A/N: Happy 4th of July to my American readers! Hope the rest of you all have a fabulous day as well.

Heath lets out a breath as soon as they land, laughing just a little at the disgruntled look on Wade's face while they drag their bags out to the rental waiting for them. "Hey, Brit, seriously, thanks for agreein' to come with me. I know you had other things to do."

Wade hesitates near the trunk and stares at him. "Hey, if you need me, everything else can wait, alright?" He puts his luggage down and rounds the car to cup Heath's face, searching his eyes for a few moments. "I know you miss Rhyno, and these goofballs are... kind of, sort of, my friends too, so if you're here, then I'm here. I haven't missed a year yet, after all." Heath's grin is sharp, his eyes bright, and Wade leans in to kiss him, Heath tugging loosely at his shirt as he sighs into Wade's mouth, wishing they were somewhere alone so he could better repay him for being so patient.

"I love you," he breathes, resting his forehead against Wade's.

"I love you too." They kiss again, slower, lazier this time, and finally Wade pulls away. "Come on, let's get this show on the road."

Alberto and Ricardo's Texas house isn't that far from the airport, in some overpriced, gaudy part of town, and Heath and Wade pause to look up at it as they circle around to park in the wide, obnoxious driveway that seems like it could wind around their entire apartment complex three times over. They're well-versed in things now, leaving the vehicle behind with their bags inside for the house staff to tend to, and ventures to the door.

Sofia greets them enthusiastically, Heath giving her a quick hug while Wade nods at her. "Si, hola! It is good to see you both," she says with a bright smile. "The others are already here, if you want to continue on to the backyard, or perhaps go to your room to freshen up. It's the same as last year."

Wade tugs slightly at his shirt, feeling grimy and a little worn out after the flight, and Heath says, "Yeah, I guess we'll do that, thanks, Sofia. We'll be out in a few minutes."

"Of course," she says, lingering just long enough to make sure they find their way and then making herself scarce to return to party preparations.

Heath quirks his eyebrows at Wade with a small, growing smirk as they slip into the bedroom set aside for them the last couple of years. He remembers this room all too well. "Sooooo," he says, leaning against the wall and spreading his hands out. "Shower?"

Wade makes a soft, scoffing noise, and then grips him by the collar and drags him into the next room, soundly locking the door behind them as they go, Heath's laughter muffled as he presses him into the counter and kisses him deep, fingers spanning his jaw.

By the time they make it out to the patio, dressed in thin shirts and baggy shorts, food has been set out and drinks are flowing, Ricardo leaning against Alberto as music plays, echoing around the yard thanks to the strategically placed speakers. "Ah, there you are," he chuckles, standing up and hugging Heath. "Nice to see you. Hola, Wade."

"Hola," he says, running his fingers through his still damp hair and grabbing a beer from the cooler, staring around at the group of men scattered around. Zack and Dolph are sitting in lawn chairs, staring at their phones and murmuring amongst themselves, while Spud and Ethan explore the food table. Meanwhile, Zema and Robbie are in the pool, Robbie's hands obviously full keeping Zema away from the diveboards that are set up on either end.

Sofia bustles out with more food and Wade offers her a small smile as she offers him a platter of sub sandwiches, Wade taking a couple stacked high with meat. He turns back to Heath and offers him one, watching as his jaw drops and he quickly claims it. "Thanks, Brit!" he says, already chewing determinedly. All talk eases for awhile as they eat, the food on the plane nowhere near filling for either man. It's after awhile that Wade realizes Heath's eyes are tracing the 24/7 title sprawled across Spud's lap and he holds his breath, waiting for a fight to break out- most of the WWE roster members here, with the exception of Ziggler, have been chasing around for this thing for weeks and he doubts, suddenly, that this party was a good idea.

But then Ricardo leans in and taps Heath lightly on the hand. "Hey, Heath," he says quietly. When Heath looks over at him, clearly busted, Ricardo smiles. "Listen, mi amigo, I know you want that belt back, I don't blame you, buuuuuuuut it's a holiday. I've banned all referees from the house and have had this talk with Spud and Ethan, I've also had it with Zack and, just in case, Dolph. So I'm gonna say it one more time for your benefit. Let's just enjoy today, hm? Make it about friends, and food, and fireworks, and leave the belt until some other time. How does that sound? Can you do that for me?"

Heath's face falls. "Well, way to make a guy feel like crap, man." Wade massages his shoulder briskly and he sighs. "Fine, I'll let it go for the weekend. But I _am_ getting that belt back!"

"Of course you are," Ricardo says, smiling at him. "For now, though, have a drink." And he tugs over some beers and passes them around, the four of them clinking their bottles together as Alberto presses a quick kiss to the top of Ricardo's head.

"Well handled, mi valiente," he says softly into Ricardo's hair.

Ricardo chuckles and rests his head on Alberto's shoulder, snaking his arm around Alberto's waist and snuggling in close. "Gracias, I have had good practice with such things over the years."

"I suppose you have," he hums, trailing his fingers, still cool from the beer, along Ricardo's side, making him shiver.

As the afternoon progresses, Spud grows more relaxed when no referee shows, even takes his title off and hands it over to Sofia, who promises to safeguard it like it were her own family heirlooms. Ethan smiles a little at this and grips him by the hips, drawing him into his lap. "As good as the belt looks on you," he whispers to him, "I prefer you like this. Easier to hold you. And..." He starts trailing his lips along Spud's jaw, hands possessive and slow against his back. Spud's lips part, he lets out a soft, shivering sigh and Ethan hums in response, kissing his mouth. Spud presses against him, soft, needy noises coming from deep in his chest and Ethan swallows each one, relieved that no one has tried to stop them as their kisses grow longer, hotter, more intimate.

"Damn, sir," Spud mumbles, and Ethan's body twitches at the old nickname. His amnesia had cost them a lot, had shifted their relationship in so many different ways, large, small. Ethan wasn't sure they'd ever have this opportunity again, but Spud had remembered some, enough, to search him out and after months of his only remembering up to 2002, it had been the breakthrough Ethan had been hoping for, even though the tension of not wanting to push him mixed with unhappiness in his career had pushed Ethan too much towards alcohol at times. Some changes are still evident- he's changed his name to Drake now, for one- but Ethan can live with anything as long as he still gets to be with Spud like this, waiting for fireworks and relearning everything that Spud likes from scratch.

"I know, Tiger," he rasps out. "I know." Spud's eyes are still the same deep, overwhelming shade of blue they've always been, and Ethan finds himself losing himself in their depths yet again as he struggles to catch his breath. "Later," he promises, his fingers stilling against Spud's spine. "If you want."

Spud bites his lip, squaring his shoulders. "I do. I think." Emboldened suddenly- Spud fading away and 205 Live general manager who takes no crap from anyone, Drake Maverick, taking over- he leans in and whispers, "I want it very much, Ethan."

"Then you'll have it," Ethan promises him, mouth suddenly very dry as he faces having to wait until after the sun sets and fireworks have ended to have proper alone time with Spud. _Shit..._

Zack laughs as he stares down at the latest mock up Dolph shows him. "God, bro, they really couldn't think up a better shirt for you?" Dolph shrugs and Zack tangles his fingers in Dolph's tank top, pulling him closer. "Glad you didn't wear it today, I might have had to act like I didn't know you at the airport..."

Dolph scoffs at him, smirk tugging at his lips. "The ring on your finger means absolutely no one would believe that, kid," he says, the two of them pausing to look at their matching sets. It still feels like just yesterday they'd exchanged their vows, had enforced their bond to one another.

"I guess you're right," Zack murmurs, leaning into Dolph's warmth and closing his eyes as Dolph holds him close. They sit quietly for awhile, enjoying the music, watching their friends, and then Zack chuckles. "Bro, think we should go 'borrow' Spud's title for a minute?"

Dolph scoffs. "Do you really think Sofia would let you anywhere near that thing?" He laughs as Zack grimaces, pinching his side. "You'd have better luck waiting until Raw and sneaking in a pin on him when he's not watching. You know that."

"I guess so. Just thinking aloud," he mumbles, relaxing once more. Dolph's hand keeps tracing lazy patterns against his abs and Zack hums, feeling sleepy and completely at ease for the first time in a long time. It still eats at him a little, how they'd lost the tag titles and not even gotten an opportunity to get them back, but so many things had been a struggle for him and Curt for so long, between Zack's lack of TV time and Curt's losing streak, he just feels grateful that they'd even gotten that far- Zack's back on Raw kind of regularly again, and Curt isn't losing all of the time anymore, and even Dolph's back on the road, so yeah. Things could be a lot worse.

"You falling asleep on me, kid?" Dolph asks softly and Zack hums, tilting his face to nuzzle into Dolph's throat and block out some of the light. "Alright. I'll wake you before the fireworks start," he promises, content to sit and hold Zack as he drifts off in his arms.

Zema seems happy to fool around in the pool all day, but Robbie tires of it quickly, wanting to go change the music to something more current, grab some food, maybe try to sneak a peak at this 24/7 title that so many people have been making a big deal out of the last few weeks. "Come on, Z," he groans. "Let's go _do_ something." Between Ethan, Spud and Zack, there are a lot of targets for him to go annoy, but again. Stuck in the water with Zema, who still keeps eyeing the diveboards like he wants to do a 630 off of one or something absolutely ridiculous like that. "Bro!"

"Robbie, you can go do something else if you want, I'm havin' fun right here."

Robbie stares at him. "But I want you to come with me," he says helplessly, and Zema finally, _finally_ looks away from the diveboard. Really seems to see him. His face softens and he swims over to Robbie. "Please?" Robbie never asks. He's not one to beg. But Zema... Zema so often does things so dangerous, so life-risking. Robbie hates to be away from him for too long, still having nightmares to this day of being in Israel while Zema was in Mexico, dying slowly from a fractured colon. "Bro?" He finds Zema's hand under the water and squeezes it. "Please? Come with me?"

"Yeah, Robbie. I'll come with you." Zema eases in and kisses him, Robbie's hand trailing up his arm as he tries to make the moment last, not wanting to lose the warm glimmer of relief easing down his spine after so much tension and worry. "I'm sorry, ok? I don't think sometimes." He brushes his nose against Robbie's, pressing another sweet, slow kiss to his mouth. "I know I put you through a lot the last few years." He hesitates and casts a rueful glance at the diveboards. "I promise I won't go near them."

"Thank you," Robbie says softly, rasping his hands over Zema's close-shaven head, feeling the ridges of his dyed hair under his fingers. "You know I just love you and want you safe."

"I know," he responds with a small, sad smile. "It's just hard to accept that even I'm mortal sometimes." He shudders, just a little, when Robbie touches the scars trailing up his abdomen. What had taken Zema so long to accept, his body not feeling or looking like his own anymore, these hideous marks proving what he'd survived.

"I know," Robbie says, the most serious look on his face Zema's ever seen there. "But you are. And you're, like, the most important person in my world, bro. So I kinda need you to want to take better care of yourself. Alright?" It's one of the reasons he's glad Zema's in NXT with him now. He can be there for him, and there's less of a chance Zema will do anything _as_ risky as he has in the past. He hopes, anyway.

Zema sniffs, looking away, looking as though he'd suddenly taken on the weight of the world while facing Robbie's fears. "Yeah, alright. I'll... I'll try, Robbie. For you."

"That's all I can really ask for." Robbie cradles his face in his hands and searches his dark, dark eyes, before leaning in and kissing him. "Thank you," he whispers. "I love you, Z."

Zema smiles at this, some of the pain easing off of his face. "I love you too."

By the time the sun sets sufficiently enough for the city's fireworks to begin, the house staff has joined them, some eating, others just sitting quietly and watching. Zack is awake now, chewing on the last hamburger, which Dolph keeps trying to take from him, and Heath has dragged Wade over closer to the sound system to dance slowly to some strange country song no one but he seems to know. Alberto and Ricardo are holding hands, their heads together as they discuss Alberto's new wrestling company, and Spud is cuddled up close to Ethan, both quiet and content to be right here, right now, the past nor the future all that interesting to either of them in this moment. Robbie is sprawled out in a lawn chair, still feeling damp and overly chlorined after so many hours in the pool earlier, but Zema is leaning against him, eyes fixed on the sky before them and not saying a word as Robbie touches him, for once relaxed and calm despite usually hating his scars getting traced like this, over and over again, even by Robbie's gentle, careful fingers.

"You ok?" Robbie asks him and Zema nods.

"Yeah, I'm good," he whispers. Looks up at Robbie and smiles. "Of course I am, I'm with you after all."

Robbie's eyes soften and he kisses Zema, only pulling away at the first flash of gold and red against the night sky, the fireworks finally beginning in earnest as they look up as one. Zack lets Dolph have the last bite before they settle in for the show, Ricardo and Alberto both forgetting what they're debating as their softly spoken Spanish is drowned out by the loud blasts overhead, and Ethan has trouble keeping his eyes on the night sky as the look on Spud's face, how the lights reflect off of his eyes, are more breathtaking to him than any firework or pyrotechnic ever could be.

Wade and Heath can't hear the music anymore but they continue to sway in each other's arms, slowly shifting so they can both see the fireworks, tilting their heads just so to watch. Between blasts, Wade leans in closer. "Thank you for still wanting me to come to these things," he tells him softly. "I haven't been in the business for so long, I'm the only one who's on the outside looking in now, you could easily decide it makes more sense to visit our wrestling friends without me, but you always try to involve me in these things, and, not to hijack Hawkins and Ryder's term, I'm grateful."

Heath stares at him, a soft smile creeping across his face. "Aw, c'mon, Brit, you think I'd ever wanna do anything like this without you?" As the sky flashes with bright, beautiful colors, Heath leans in, kisses Wade long and deep, tasting him eagerly. He laughs softly when Wade's entire body shivers, his own toes curling at the sensations creeping down his body. "Doesn't matter to me if you're in wrestlin', or in actin', or whatever you wanna do. Long as you're by my side, happy and healthy, I'm more than fine with it."

Wade stares down at him, dark blue eyes deep with love and affection for this absolutely ridiculous, insane man who'd wormed his way into his life all of those years ago and slowly, determinedly, made him happier than Wade could've ever imagined. "Thank you, Ginger."

"You're welcome. Now come on, Brit, we're missin' the fireworks." He grins up at him and they ease back into slow dancing, eyes on the sky as more and more brightly colored blasts rain down over their heads.


End file.
